My Dearly Loved Spirit Sister

Before the birth of our third child, I asked my husband to give me a priesthood blessing as he had done before the births of our other children. In the blessing, my husband said I would recognize this child from our premortal life. I was excited, naturally thinking that something out of the ordinary would happen in the delivery room that night. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, but when nothing unusual happened, I temporarily forgot about the promise made to me in the blessing.

Late one night several weeks later, only my baby and I were awake. Esther was lying on the bed kicking her feet merrily and making cute little sounds. I began to sing her a lullaby I had written about our premortal existence. I then remembered the words of the blessing, and my thoughts turned to Heavenly Father. I asked what the blessing meant.

Immediately I sensed a wonderful feeling in the room, and gazing into my baby’s eyes, I did recognize her—not in the way I expected, but in a far deeper and richer sense. A thought came to me that brought me to tears: this child was not just my baby girl but also my sister, my dearly loved spirit sister. As I gazed at her, I sensed that somehow she too was feeling something special. Perhaps she recognized me and felt that great love we had shared in our premortal life. I knew at that moment in a way I have never forgotten that she was truly a noble daughter of our Heavenly Father—one I had admired in our former estate. When I had learned I was to be her earthly mother, I had been deeply touched and overwhelmed by this great responsibility. Now here she was, my cherished sister, my baby, helpless in my arms—and I holding the key to her future.

I came to understand that I really was also a sister to all my family members, including my husband, and that each was precious in the sight of God. In the years since, as we have faced the normal ups and downs of child rearing, I have recalled this experience and been able to share with my children who they really are, making an important difference in their lives.